07 Nov 201706:38am IST

Report byVRISHANK MAHATME vrishank@herald-goa.com

The Goa State Museum is gearing up to open the doors to public at the temporary space at Adil Shah Palace in the next 15-20 days.

The main museum building at Patto is crumbling due to water seepage and roof leaks every monsoon thus jeopardising the centuries old artefacts, forcing the authorities to shift the premises.

Museum officials, earlier, had their target set on the old GMC building near Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) office, but ESG had refused to hand over the premises in arrears to the annually held IFFI festival.

“All the 10,000 artefacts have already been moved from the museum building at Patto, also the verification process is finished. Currently, work is going on to arrange artefacts in proper as the space available here is less as compared to our old building. If things go right and the arrangement process if over then in the next 15 to 20 days, the museum will be thrown open to the public,” said Radha Bhave, Goa State Museum Director.

“Once the museum re-opens, we shall look for a new land where a new building can be constructed. Recently, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had made a statement in the Assembly that a new building will be constructed at Patto where the original building stands where all government offices from Panjim will be shifted,” said Bhave.

Adil Shah Palace remained shut for 16 years until recently when the Directorate of Art and Culture signed an MoU with the GSIDC to kick off renovation and set up a museum with modern art gallery.

Speaking to Herald, Art and Culture Minister, Govind Gaude said, “At the Adil Shah Palace, the museum's artefacts will be accommodated on the ground floor while the first floor will be kept vacant for our departmental activities.”

Meanwhile, as per the authorities, the famous 200-year-old rath from the Chandreshwar Temple, Paroda which is a major attraction would also be showcased at the temporary premises.